The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the results of its 2023-2024 Intruder Detection Audits, which show a significant improvement from last year.
The annual audits, meant to improve access control practices in schools, were ordered by Texas Governor Greg Abbott following the 2022 Robb Elementary School mass shooting. The shooter gained access to the school through an unlocked door and killed 19 students and two teachers.
What Does the Texas School Intruder Detection Audits Cover?
The TEA contracts with Regional Education Centers to conduct the audits, which are developed in coordination with the Texas School Safety Center. The audits consisted of three phases:
- Phase 1 – The Intruder Detection Phase: An inspector selects up to three external doors and shows up unannounced to see if they can gain access. If any of the doors are unsecured, the inspector attempts an unauthorized entry to the school.
- Phase 2 – The Exterior Door Phase: The inspector checks in at the school’s main office, obtains a campus escort, and checks all exterior doors to see if they are closed, latched, and locked.
- Phase 3 – The Classroom Door Phase (where applicable): If the Local Education Agency (LEA) has an interior classroom door locking policy, the inspector conducts a random check of classroom doors to verify they are closed, latched, and locked.
While the inspector is on-site, they also review the preceding six weeks of weekly door sweep documentation required for all campuses.
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87% of Texas Schools Had No Findings in Intrusion Detection Audits
This past school year 8,383 campuses in 1,200 districts were audited. Around 97% of all the campuses had no Phase 1 findings. For campuses where the inspector gained unauthorized access, 79.5% gained access in five minutes or less with an average of about four minutes.
Approximately 90% had no Phase 2 findings, and 97% had no door log findings. Of the applicable districts, approximately 89% of doors were locked and 91% were closed during Phase 3. About 13% of campuses reported multiple findings with the majority occurring in Phase 2, KVUE reports. Overall, 87% of campuses had no findings. LEAs with findings have 60 days to complete any corrective actions. As of July 30, 2024, 12.8% of the 13% of campuses with findings had completed their corrective actions.
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Compared to the 2022-2023 audit, previously covered by Campus Safety, there were 9.76% fewer findings across all four areas assessed despite an increase in 1,182 audits. More specifically, findings dropped by 1.04% in Phase 1, 4.06% in Phase 2, 3.21% in Phase 3, and 1.45% in door logs. There was also an 8.6% increase in campuses with all exterior doors locked.
“The Texas Education Agency and the Office of School Safety and Security recognize the staff and leadership of local education agencies across the state of Texas, our partners at the regional education service centers, and the Texas School Safety Center for your dedication to student support and safety,” the report said in closing. “Your invaluable contributions to student safety positively impact student outcomes, and your continuous efforts to ensure students are safer where they learn, grow, and play are commendable.”
